'A fairy story': Dame Joanna Lumley reveals she never thought she'd be honoured at Buckingham Palace after being stripped of her prefect badge at school when she was caught smoking

  • Dame Joanna Lumley was honoured for services to drama and charity today
  • The actress, 76, is best known for playing Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous
  • She insisted she no plans to retire from acting yet and will carry on 

By Jessica Taylor For Mailonline

Published: | Updated:

Dame Joanna Lumley said her life felt 'like a fairy story' after receiving her Damehood at Buckingham Palace today.

The veteran actress, 76, joked she never thought she'd make it to the Palace after she was demoted from being a prefect at school for smoking.

Dame Joanna, best known for playing Patsy in sitcom Absolutely Fabulous with her comedy partner Jennifer Saunders, was given the award for her services to drama, entertainment and charitable causes.

To collect her award she donned a statement hot pink wrap-blazer dress. She accessorised with a hat with matching pink detailing.

Dame Joanna Lumley, 76, beamed as she held up her award for services to drama, entertainment and charitable causes outside Buckingham Palace

Dame Joanna Lumley, 76, beamed as she held up her award for services to drama, entertainment and charitable causes outside Buckingham Palace

The veteran actress, best known for playing Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous, stunned in a hot pink blazer dress

The veteran actress, best known for playing Patsy in Absolutely Fabulous, stunned in a hot pink blazer dress

Describing the honour as 'absolutely huge' she described how her experience at the palace today differed from when she collected her OBE in 1995.

She said: 'It was in the throne room, which is much smaller and much more intimate.

'And instead of an actual military band, playing very softly up there was this beautiful bass and string quartet and it was so charming and so moving.'

Joanna was awarded her damehood by Princess Anne, for whom she was full of praise.

The veteran actress said: [Anne is] just such a wonderful sort of figurehead for women in this country, I think [she is] courageous and active and modest and brilliant.'

Dame Joanna said she and Anne were both supporters of Farms For City Children.

She said Anne was 'so lovely' and told her that the honour was 'richly deserved'.

The 76-year-old joked that after getting in trouble at school as a teenager she never would have envisioned herself picking up an award at Buckingham Palace. 

'I mean these are things that, as a child being ticked off and having my prefect badge taken away for smoking, something that you would never dream of is that you would be honoured in Buckingham Palace to become a Dame,' she said.

Professor Kathleen Stock, who used to teach philosophy at the University of Sussex but left her role following a row over her views on gender identity, was made an OBE during the ceremony

Professor Kathleen Stock, who used to teach philosophy at the University of Sussex but left her role following a row over her views on gender identity, was made an OBE during the ceremony

Asked about her career the actress said she was 'still going strong' and had no plans to retire any time soon.

She joked she would carry on working until they 'hack the legs away from underneath me'.

The Dame, who has a new travel series starting next month, said she'll know when it is time to stop because 'the phone will stop ringing'.

After the ceremony the Royal Family paid tribute to Dame Joanna.

Posting a photo of the new dame holding her award on Instagram, the official account for the royals wrote: 'Congratulations Dame Joanna Lumley!

'At today's investiture ceremony at Buckingham Palace, the Princess Royal awarded Dame Joanna with her honour for services to drama, entertainment and charitable causes.'  

Other people awarded at the ceremony included professor Kathleen Stock, who was made an OBE for services to higher education.

Professor Stock left her role at the University of Sussex last year following a row over her views on gender identity. 

Joanna LumleyJennifer SaundersBuckingham Palace

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